< 1 Chronicles 10 >
1 The army of Philistia [again] fought against the Israelis. The Israeli soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelis were killed {the soldiers of Philistia killed many Israelis} on Gilboa Mountain.
Now the Philistines warred against Israel; and they fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gelbue.
2 The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
And the Philistines pursued after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines struck Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisue, sons of Saul.
3 The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
And the battle prevailed against Saul, and the archers hit him with bows and arrows, and they were wounded of the bows.
4 Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, “Take out your sword and kill me with it, in order that these heathen Philistines will not be able to injure me [further] and make fun of me [while I am dying].” But the man who was carrying Saul’s weapons was terrified and refused to do that. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it [and died].
And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword, and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid: so Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
And his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, and he also fell upon his sword.
6 So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
So Saul died, and his three sons on that day, and all his family died at the same time.
7 When the Israelis who were living in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his three sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away. Then the soldiers from Philistia came and (occupied/lived in) those towns.
And all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, and they left their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the corpses of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
And it came to pass on the next [day] that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his sons fallen on mount Gelbue.
9 They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
And they stripped him, and took his head, and his armor, and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about, to proclaim the glad tidings to their idols, and to the people.
10 Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news throughout their own area, to their idols and to the other people. They put Saul’s armor in the temple where their idols were, and they hung Saul’s head in the temple of [their god] Dagon.
And they put their armor in the house of their god, and they put his head in the house of Dagon.
11 All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
And all the dwellers in Galaad heard of all that the Philistines had done to Saul and to Israel.
12 So the bravest men/soldiers of Jabesh went and got the corpses of Saul and his sons and brought them back to Jabesh. They buried their bones under a large tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
And all the mighty men rose up from Galaad, and they took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabis, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabis, and fasted seven days.
13 Saul died because he did not faithfully obey what Yahweh told him to do. He even went to a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people and asked her what he should do,
So Saul died for his transgressions, wherein he transgressed against God, against the word of the Lord, forasmuch as he kept [it] not, because Saul enquired of a wizard to seek [counsel], and Samuel the prophet answered him:
14 instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die, and he appointed David, the son of Jesse, to be the king [of Israel].
and he sought not the Lord: so he killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.